The Excursion To Cologne

We left on a morning train to Cologne, at Jim’s suggestion. He wanted to see the great Gothic cathedral, and Dan had not seen that church and the city in over 52 years! The ride from Frankfurt to Cologne, on the high speed and excellent trains, takes only an hour and twenty minutes. The older city of Cologne struck both of us as more visited by tourists, and it’s startling to be practically at the front door of the cathedral as one leaves the station. Cologne’s cathedral is one of the tallest in the world, and is also in the late Gothic or flamboyant style. Inside a mass was being conducted, with singing by a big choir. After we left the church we headed to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, which houses another fine collection of German and foreign art. Great works by Rubens, Rembrandt and others are followed by 19th century French treasures by Courbet, Manet (his “Bunch of Asparagus,” appropriate for a German city that dotes on that Spring vegetable), Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh and many others. After touring the museum we enjoyed eating white asparagus, the big Spring-time specialty at a pleasant restaurant right on the square before the cathedral. Jim had a creamed asparagus soup, and Dan enjoyed his boiled asparagus with hollandaise sauce, potatoes and salmon. We bought some glasses at the museum, and Jim enjoyed shopping after lunch while Dan hunted down a Romanesque church. Though they were destroyed during the Second World War, most of the many Romanesque churches of the city were subsequently rebuilt. The weather cooperated for our trip to the great Rhineland city, which is perhaps more enticing than Frankfurt.--Dan